As many football fans in the Tucson area learned last week, has head coaches Jon Galas and Tucson FC agreed to split – the decision came after the team’s most recent defeat at Union Omaha 1-0.
Galas took over the men in black last year and set a 6-6-1 record with a sixth place in the USL League One Division.
Tucson FC have set a 2-4-3 record this season after starting off 2-0.
After galas were canceled, Tucson FC looked for their own front office to replace him for the time being.
Jon Pearlman, the head of football operations, takes over the management of the team as interim coach.
FC Tucson interim coach Jon Pearlman (FC Tucson)
Pearlman and the Men in Black face a tough challenge on Saturday as they finish fourth at the North Complex movie theater at 7 p.m. in Fort Lauderdale CF. He feels that he and his players have trained for these moments and are up to the task.
“It’s been a challenging week for us,” said Pearlman. “It’s never easy when we have a change of coach, but it’s also been a good week.
“The staff and players reacted very well. We had a really good week of training. We scored a lot of goals. Overall, the staff and the team are really looking forward to the game here against Fort Lauderdale. We look in really good shape and are hoping for a result. “
Pearlman was a fixture in Tucson football, coached Sabino High School to a state title, founded the Tanque Verde Youth Soccer Club, and was one of the original owners of Tucson FC. He trains the organization again.
“My roots here are in Sabino football, the development of this program and winning a state title. Beginning with Tanque Verde football club, now partnered with Tucson Soccer, through to founding the youth football group FC Tucson, which is now the most successful football club in southern Arizona, ”said Pearlman. “To be back in my hometown, Tucson football is everything to me. We developed MLS players. We hope to develop future MLS players here and in the academy.
“The most important thing is that, as a Tucsonan, I care about being on the bench for this team. Of course, I wish it were under better circumstances, but opportunities come in different ways. The most important thing is to help this team through this time and to find the right coach for this club in the long term. Hopefully I can do that by winning games. “
After many years of high school and club experience, Pearlman played four years for Union College in New York. He then became one of the founding members of Tucson FC.
In 2017 he was the head coach and secured a qualifying place for FC Tucson for the US Open Cup. He did the same for Oklahoma City Energy in 2018.
Pearlman returned to Tucson FC after the Oklahoma City sting, this time as Director of Operations. He hopes his over 25 years of experience is exactly what his team needs. In his previous tenure as coach of Tucson FC, he scored an 18-7-3 in 2016-17.
“I’ve had every job you can think of in this building, so I know what this team needs from the front office and in this department,” said Pearlman. “The team has to be connected from the front office to the ground floor. It starts with recruiting a player in the off-season, building up your staff, and moving on to the field.
“I have a lot of experience, a lot of good experiences. I’ve had a lot of jobs that have prepared me for this. The staff we have that is excellent have the chance to work with me for what I have been looking for. We’re in the best possible position when we hit the bench on Saturday night. We are as well prepared as possible and many players feel very confident to step between those white lines, which would obviously lead to victories for us and really excite the fans. “
Tucson FC vs. Fort Lauderdale CF information from Tucson FC:
Tucson will see the return of Noah Frank and Thu Calixtro. The pair suspended their 1-0 loss to Union Omaha last weekend after receiving red cards against North Texas SC the previous week.
Calixtro is second in the league with three assists, while goalkeepers Wallis Lapsley leads the league with 38 saves.
Fort Lauderdale ranks fourth in the league at 5-6-2 after playing 13 league games. The team have played three straight games with Toronto FC II after losing 1-1-1 in a duel against MLS reserves.
Fort Lauderdale also leads the USL League One with 20 goals and is in second place with a conversion rate of 16 percent and 5,455 passes – 565 more than the second highest club.
Shaan Hundal is third in the league with five goals while Venton Evans has four. George Acosta leads the league with six assists and tied with 26 created chances. Acosta had one goal and two assists, including assist, in the May 16 game against Tucson Abel Caputos Goal just two minutes after the start of the game.
On the defense, Luis Zamudio is fifth in the league with 20 saves.
The FC celebrates Salute To The Troops. After the game there will be a fireworks display.
Nathaniel Martinez is an aspiring sports writer, a graduate of Sahuaro High School and a student at Pima Community College. He wrote for Aztec Press at Pima. While at Sahuaro, he played soccer for longtime coach Scott McKee and he wrestled.
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